Grosse Ile - Gateway to Canada - 1832-1937
Carraig Books, 1984, 188 pages
Description :
This book deals with aspects of the history of an island, Grosse Île. It covers the years 1832 to 1937, when that island was a quarantine for the immigrants coming in this country via the port of Quebec.Among these immigrants, a group is remarkable by its importance, the Irish, and by their tragic history of the 1840s when thousands, forced by the famine caused by a virus attacking potatoes, fled their country and were victims of typhus. In 1847, some 5 000 were buried at Grosse Île. Orphans were, in part, adopted by Quebec families. A list showing the particulars of 600 adoptions has been annexed to the book.
Based on official documents Grosse Ile Gateway to Canada 1832-1937 draws attention to the broad lines of Canadian immigration and the reception of thousands of future citizens coming from numerous European countries.
The quarantine station of Grosse Île had a moral renown extending beyond the St. Lawrence valley. The medical authorities appointed at Grosse île, as members of the Quarantine Division of the Dominion, were known for the constant vigilance they exercised in the execution of their tasks.
Maps, copies of original documents and photos illustrate this book.
